Experimental and support vector machine predictions of entropy generations and exergy efficiency of Fe3O4-SiO2/Water hybrid nanofluid in a plate heat exchanger.

Several experiments of Fe3O4-SiO2/water hybrid nanofluids with volumetric concentrations ranging from 0.2 % to 1.0 % circulating in the cold-side of a plate heat exchanger at flow rates ranging from 0.05 kg/s to 0.1166 kg/s are performed. Under these ranges of flow rates and volumetric concentrations, the flow of Fe3O4-SiO2/water hybrid nanofluids remains laminar. The results of these experiments are predicted with support vector machine (SVM) algorithm to determine hybrid nanofluid entropy generation thermal, entropy generation frictional, and efficiency of exergy. Fe3O4-SiO2 nanomaterials was synthesized with reduction of chemicals and insitu development techniques, with XRD, FTIR and VSM instruments, characterizations were done. The SVM model gives large precision predictions of the measured data with correlations coefficients of 0.9944, 0.99798, and 0.99428 for frictional entropy generation, thermal entropy generation and exergy efficiency. At a flow rate of 0.1166 kg/s in the cold-side of PHE, the exergy efficiency is found to be 77.96 % for water (Reynolds number of 935.4) and with 1.0 vol% of Fe3O4-SiO2/water hybrid nanofluid in the cold-side of PHE, the efficiency is increased to 82.97 %, respectively. Under similar conditions of 0.1166 kg/s of flow circulation and 1.0 % vol. concentration of hybrid nanofluid, the thermal entropy generation is dropped off to 18.37 %, but the frictional entropy generation is increased by 20.97 %, compared to water, with the results that the total entropy generation drops off by 15.91 %, compared to water data. Preliminary curve-fitting correlations have been developed for the frictional entropy generation, thermal entropy generation, and exergy efficiency.

Adsorptive sequestration of noxious uranium (VI) from water resources: A comprehensive review.

Groundwater is usually utilized as a drinking water asset everywhere. Therefore, groundwater defilement by poisonous radioactive metals such as uranium (VI) is a major concern due to the increase in nuclear power plants as well as their by-products which are released into the watercourses. Waste Uranium (VI) can be regarded as a by-product of the enrichment method used to produce atomic energy, and the hazard associated with this is due to the uranium radioactivity causing toxicity. To manage these confronts, there are so many techniques that have been introduced but among those adsorptions is recognized as a straightforward, successful, and monetary innovation, which has gotten major interest nowadays, despite specific drawbacks regarding operational as well as functional applications. This review summarizes the various adsorbents such as Bio-adsorbent/green materials, metal oxide-based adsorbent, polymer based adsorbent, graphene oxide based adsorbent, and magnetic nanomaterials and discuss their synthesis methods. Furthermore, this paper emphasis on adsorption process by various adsorbents or modified forms under different physicochemical conditions. In addition to this adsorption mechanism of uranium (VI) onto different adsorbent is studied in this article. Finally, from the literature reviewed conclusion have been drawn and also proposed few future research suggestions.

Increased exposure to loading is associated with decreased plantar soft tissue hardness in people with diabetes and neuropathy.

AIMS: Literature indicates that altered plantar loading in people with diabetes could trigger changes in plantar soft tissue biomechanics which, in turn, could affect the risk for ulceration. To stimulate more research in this area, this study uses in vivo testing to investigate the link between plantar loading and tissue hardness. METHODS: Tissue hardness and plantar pressure distribution were measured for six plantar areas in 39 people with diabetes and peripheral neuropathy. RESULTS: Spearman correlation analysis revealed that increased pressure time integral at the 1st metatarsal-head region (r = -0.354, n = 39, P = 0.027) or at the heel (r = -0.378, n = 39, P = 0.018) was associated with reduced hardness in the same regions. After accounting for confounding parameters, generalised estimating equations analysis also showed that 10% increase in pressure time integral at the heel was associated with ≈ 1 unit reduction in hardness in the same region. CONCLUSIONS: For the first time, this study reveals that people with diabetes and neuropathy who tend to load their feet more heavily also tend to have plantar soft tissues with lower hardness. The observed difference in tissue hardness is likely to affect the tissue's vulnerability to overload injury. More research will be needed to explore the implications of the observed association for the risk of ulceration.

Graphene oxide induces cytotoxicity and oxidative stress in bluegill sunfish cells.

Graphene oxide (GO) is considered a promising material for biological application due to its unique properties. However, the potential toxicity of GO to aquatic organism particularly bluegill sun fish cells (BF-2) is unexplored or remains poorly understood. GO-induced cytotoxicity and oxidative stress in BF-2 cells were assessed using a battery of biomarkers. Two different biological assays (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide and neutral red uptake were used to evaluate the cytotoxicity of GO on BF-2 cells. It was found that GO induced dose- and time-dependent cytotoxicity on BF-2 cells. BF-2 cells exposed to lower concentration of GO (40 µg ml-1 ) for 24 induced morphological changes when compared to their respective controls. As evidence for oxidative stress lipid peroxidation, superoxide dismutase, catalase, reactive oxygen species and 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine levels were increased and glutathione levels were found to decline in BF-2 cells after treatment with GO. Our findings demonstrate that GO when exposed to BF-2 fish cells cause oxidative stress.

Can plantar soft tissue mechanics enhance prognosis of diabetic foot ulcer?

AIM: To investigate if the assessment of the mechanical properties of plantar soft tissue can increase the accuracy of predicting Diabetic Foot Ulceration (DFU). METHODS: 40 patients with diabetic neuropathy and no DFU were recruited. Commonly assessed clinical parameters along with plantar soft tissue stiffness and thickness were measured at baseline using ultrasound elastography technique. 7 patients developed foot ulceration during a 12months follow-up. Logistic regression was used to identify parameters that contribute to predicting the DFU incidence. The effect of using parameters related to the mechanical behaviour of plantar soft tissue on the specificity, sensitivity, prediction strength and accuracy of the predicting models for DFU was assessed. RESULTS: Patients with higher plantar soft tissue thickness and lower stiffness at the 1st Metatarsal head area showed an increased risk of DFU. Adding plantar soft tissue stiffness and thickness to the model improved its specificity (by 3%), sensitivity (by 14%), prediction accuracy (by 5%) and prognosis strength (by 1%). The model containing all predictors was able to effectively (χ2 (8, N=40)=17.55, P<0.05) distinguish between the patients with and without DFU incidence. CONCLUSION: The mechanical properties of plantar soft tissue can be used to improve the predictability of DFU in moderate/high risk patients.

Enhanced thermal conductivity and viscosity of nanodiamond-nickel nanocomposite nanofluids.

We report a new type of magnetic nanofluids, which is based on a hybrid composite of nanodiamond and nickel (ND-Ni) nanoparticles. We prepared the nanoparticles by an in-situ method involving the dispersion of caboxylated nanodiamond (c-ND) nanoparticles in ethylene glycol (EG) followed by mixing of nickel chloride and, at the reaction temperature of 140°C, the use of sodium borohydrate as the reducing agent to form the ND-Ni nanoparticles. We performed their detailed surface and magnetic characterization by X-ray diffraction, micro-Raman, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, and vibrating sample magnetometer. We prepared stable magnetic nanofluids by dispersing ND-Ni nanoparticles in a mixture of water and EG; we conducted measurements to determine the thermal conductivity and viscosity of the nanofluid with different nanoparticles loadings. The nanofluid for a 3.03% wt. of ND-Ni nanoparticles dispersed in water and EG exhibits a maximum thermal conductivity enhancement of 21% and 13%, respectively. For the same particle loading of 3.03% wt., the viscosity enhancement is 2-fold and 1.5-fold for water and EG nanofluids. This particular magnetic nanofluid, beyond its obvious usage in heat transfer equipment, may find potential applications in such diverse fields as optics and magnetic resonance imaging.

Antimicrobial activity and biosynthesis of indole antibiotics produced by Xenorhabdus nematophilus.

We have investigated the mechanism of action and physiology of production of the indole derivative antibiotics produced by the nematode-associated, entomopathogenic bacterium Xenorhabdus nematophilus. Maximum antibiotic concentration was reached during the late stationary phase of growth, and the antibiotic yield was appreciably enhanced by supplementation with tryptophan. Antibiotic biosynthesis apparently involved the removal of the side-chain carboxyl (C-1) carbon of tryptophan. The C-3 methylene carbon of tryptophan, on the other hand, was retained. The purified indole antibiotic was effective against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria at low to moderate concentrations causing a severe inhibition of RNA synthesis, accompanied by a less severe effect on protein synthesis. An isogenic pair of Escherichia coli strains differing at the relA locus was used to demonstrate that the swift reduction in total RNA synthesis is related to an antibiotic-induced accumulation of the regulatory nucleotide, ppGpp, in susceptible bacteria. The E. coli relA mutant, which does not exhibit any discernible increase in ppGpp upon antibiotic treatment, showed no decrease in growth or RNA synthesis. Using this antibiotic, it was also observed that ppGpp may be employed as a metabolic regulator in bacteria such as Pseudomonas putida, which have not previously been reported to employ ppGpp as a regulatory molecule. We propose that the indole derivative antibiotic exerts growth inhibitory control in susceptible bacteria by greatly enhancing synthesis of ppGpp, resulting in a rapid inhibition of RNA synthesis.

The role of guanosine-3',5'-bis-pyrophosphate in mediating antimicrobial activity of the antibiotic 3,5-dihydroxy-4-ethyl-trans-stilbene.

The mode of action of 3,5-dihydroxy-4-ethyl-trans-stilbene (ES), an antibiotic produced by Xenorhabdus luminescens symbiotically associated with an entomopathogenic nematode, was investigated. ES was active against gram-positive and a number of gram-negative bacteria. In susceptible bacteria this antibiotic caused the inhibition of total RNA synthesis and, to a lesser extent, protein synthesis. At or above MICs, ES triggered a substantial accumulation of an intracellular regulatory compound, guanosine-3',5'-bis-pyrophosphate (ppGpp). This response was also noticed in species of bacteria which have previously not been shown to use ppGpp as a regulatory molecule. The involvement of ppGpp in antibiotic action was confirmed by using an isogenic stringent and a relaxed pair of Escherichia coli strains. The fact that the accumulation of ppGpp was correlated with the susceptibility of various gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria to ES suggests that this nucleotide is involved in the regulation of RNA synthesis and growth in all these microorganisms. Thus, inhibition of RNA synthesis via an increase in ppGpp concentrations may represent a mechanism that is prevalent among most bacteria and one that could be exploited for achieving a rapid inhibition of bacterial growth.